Spooling mechanism



Feb. 20, 1962 F. WAHL SPOOLING MECHANISM Filed May 8, 1959 United StatesPatent 3,022,098 SPOOLING MECHANISM Frank Wahl, North Bergen, NJ.,assignor to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N.Y., acorporation of New York Filed May 8, 1959, Ser. No. 811,991 5 Claims.(Cl. 28752.07)

This invention relates to spooling devices and particularly to animproved clamping mechanism for securing sleeves of devices such as copsor reels on spindles.

An object of this invention is a simple clamping mechanism which isinexpensive to manufacture, easy to maintain, and insures continuouslocking of the sleeve on its spindle to permit a uniform payofl ofstrands therefrom.

According to the features of the invention, one end of a spindle isprovided with a fixed flange against which one end of a sleeve issecured by means of a plurality of members exerting longitudinal forcesagainst the other end. The members are movable within angularly disposedslots provided in the spindle and are advanced outwardly from thespindle and toward the end of the sleeve by a captive ring rotatablymounted at the end of the spindle. Retracted, the members are positionedbelow the outer surface of the spindle to provide clearance for slippingthe sleeve on and ofi and the spindle.

Other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had byreferring to the following description and claims, taken in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a partial cross sectional view illustrating the invention;and,

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary isometric cross sectional View of the inventionas shown in FIG. 1.

With reference to the drawing the invention is incorporated in a coreserving head 10, such as the type utilized in the binding of wireconductors into cables, and includes a driven spindle 11 having a hollowshaft 12 for the longitudinal passage of conductors therethrough whichare subsequently bound together by suitable strands 13 on a sleeve 14.In this embodiment the sleeve 14 is the central arbor of a cop, however,it is understood that the sleeve can be the central arbor of a spool,reel, or the like. Pressure means (not shown) are applied to a movablebrake shoe 15 for advancing the shoe inwardly against the strands beingunwound during the binding operation so as to maintain a constanttension thereon.

A rotating element 16, concentrically disposed about the spindle 11, issecured on a bearing unit 17 by lock screw 18 to support the sleevethereon. The bearing unit 17 is retained on the shaft 12 by theinterengagement of a threaded collar 19 with the shaft threaded portion20 forcing the unit against a fixed annular ring 21.

A frusto conical or tapered portion of the rotating element 16,intermediate the bearing unit 17 and threaded end portion 22, has aninclined surface 23 in which a plurality of radially spaced inclinedslots 24 provide ways for the angular movement of threaded members 25thereon. The slots 24 each have a longitudinal cavity 26 on their bottomsurface to receive a pin 27, projecting from the inner surface of themembers 25, so as to restrict their freedom of movement in the slots 24.

The members 25 have threads 28 on their outer surface for engagementwith internal tapered threads 29 of a col- "ice lar or captive ring 30disposed concentrically about the shaft 12 which may be turned tosimultaneously advance or retract the members 25 along their Ways. Thethreaded members 25 have notches 31 at their ends, preferably L-shaped,and upon the clockwise rotation of the ring 30, the members are advancedand the notches engage the sleeve end 32 and its inner surface 33 so asto force the sleeve against the fixed flange 34 and seat itconcentrically about the spindle 11. The outer diameter of the ring 30is either equal to or less than the inner diameter of the sleeve 14, butin any event, due to the inclination of the slots 24 and the taperedthreads in ring 39, when the ring is rotated counterclockwise themembers retract and recede into the element 16 so as to provideclearance for replacing an empty sleeve with a full one. A lockingcollar 35 retains the ring 30 in a predetermined rotatable positionabout the central axis of the rotating element 16.

When the members 25 are in their retracted position and the sleeve hasbeen removed from the rotating element 16, the clamping mechanism androtating element may be readily removed from the spindle 11 merely byscrewing downwardly on lock screw 18 until it clears the upper surfaceof the bearing unit 17. The clamping mechanism is then removed bygrasping the captive ring 30 and pulling the element 16 outwardly fromthe brake shoe 15 over the spindle. The bearing unit is removed simplyby turning and removing the threaded collar 19 from the threaded portionof the spindle 11. In this manner a new mechanism having either the sameor a different diameter size rotating element 16, depending on thesleeve size of the stranding material utilized, may be easily positionedon the spindle in a minimum consumption of time.

While a particular type of spindle shown is preferred for certain typebinding operations, it will be apparent that it may assume other desiredforms. For example, the spindle may be of solid material having anannular flange mounted at one end and radially spaced slots havingclamping members of the type hereinbefore described movable on aninclined surface at or near the other end to secure a sleeve type cop orreel therebetween.

Thus, although the invention has been described with a certain degree ofparticularity, it is understood that the present disclosure has beenmade only by way of example and that numerous changes in the details ofconstruction and the combination and arrangement of parts may beresorted to without departing from the spirit and the scope of theinvention as hereinafter claimed.

What is claimed is:

l. A spooling mechanism for a sleeve which comprises a rotatable elementhaving an intermediate sleeve receiving portion and end portions, aflange extending from one end portion for engaging one end of a sleevepositioned on the intermediate portion, a plurality of radially spacedinclined ways in the other end portion of the rotatable element, membershaving sleeve engaging end portions normally retracted within therotatable elements and movable on the ways for engaging the other end ofthe sleeve, and means for advancing the members along the ways out fromthe rotatable element and against the other end of the sleeve to forcethe sleeve against the flange.

2. A mechanism according to claim l in which the ways are angul-arlydisposed slots spaced equally about the retatable element, the slotsforming similar angles with the central axis of the rotatable elementand extending along 7 lines generated from a common point thereon.

3. A mechanism for clamping a sleeve on a rotatable elementWhlCh'COITlPIlSS a flange extendingfrom the element for engaging one endof the sleevepositioned thereon, a plurality of radially spacedinclining Ways recessed in the element and spaced apart from the flangeadja cent the other end of the sleeve, members angularly movable on theWays and'having threaded outer surfaces and sleeve engaging end portionsretractable on the recessed ways to a. position Within the element, andan internally I threaded rotatable collar on the end of the element forengaging the threaded surfaces of the members for advancing the membersand forcing the end portions against the sleeve so as to seat and lockthe sleeve on the element.

4. A clamping mechanism according to claim 3 in which the members have apin mounted on the inner surface thereof, and the Ways have recessedcavities therein for receiving the pins to provide a restricted area ofmovement for the members. 7

5. A mechanism according to claim 3 in which the diameter of the collaris no greater than the inner diameter of the sleeve and the members areretractable in the Ways to permit sliding a sleeve thereover.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS StonerJuly 27, 1954

